When Kumar Hanumaiah, a dealer of Nandini products in Bogadi Second Stage in Mysuru, opened a bag of the recently launched Nandini cookies, he found 38 packets of cookies instead of 40. With two packets of cookies less, he had been short-changed of Rs. 10, as each packet of two cookies costs Rs. 5.
“I feel cheated. If I lose Rs. 10 on each plastic bag, there is no incentive to sell the cookies for us. I will get only Rs. 190 against the Rs. 200 I should be receiving for selling 40 packets,” he said, even as he claimed that there was a good demand for the cookies.
“If the consumer takes home the entire 1 kg plastic bag and finds two packets of cookies less, he will blame the dealer,” said Mr. Hanumaiah, who is also the president of Nandini Milk Dealers’ Association of Mysuru district
Nandini cookies, which are manufactured at KMF in Bengaluru, are transported to the dealers through distributors. Raju Nayak of Kamadhenu Enterprises, who distributes the cookies, said he had received a complaint from Mr. Hanumaiah and had offered to replace the plastic bag with a different one containing 40 packets.
KMF depot-in-charge in Mysuru A.L. Chandrakanth said KMF had issued standing instructions to its dealers to return the products weighing less than the stipulated weight.
More than 1,200 kg of Nandini cookies are sold in Mysuru every month and such a complaint has not come so far, he added. Nandini cookies are being sold across dealers as well as retail shops and provision stores across Mysuru since almost a year now.
“This is the first time, we have come across such a complaint,” he said.
KMF sources in Bengaluru told The Hindu that Nandini cookies enjoyed a good demand across many parts of the State.
“We produce about 500 kg a day. But, we are unable to sell them in all parts of the State due to production constraints,” said an official, adding that such complaints of short-changing will be immediately be looked into.
